Locking device for lanterns.



I. G. STUTSMAN. LQCKING DEVICE FOR LANTERNS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 17. 1915.

Y Patented Oct. 5, 1915;

' la rly tor-bore 17 is a TINT ' sans IRA G. STU'ISMAN, 0E 'IOMAH, WISCONSIN.

LOCKING DEVICE FOR LANTERNS.

Specification of Letters Patent,

Application filed June 17, 1915. Serial No. 34,675.

To all whom 1'15 may concern Be it known that I, IRA G. STUTSMA'N, a citizen of the United States, residing at Tomah, in the county of Monroe and State of Wisconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Looking Devices for Lanterns, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to lanterns, particuto railway signal lanterns; and the principal object of'the invention is to provide a simple, inexpensive and conveniently manipulated device for firmly and securely looking a lantern to its support, for example, a signal lantern to the target pinnacle of the switch stand.

The invention is illustrated, in a preferred embodiment, in the accompanying drawing in which- 'Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional View of a signal lantern, of ordinary type, and the upper portion of the switch stand pinnacle constructed n accordance with my invention. F 2 and dare sectional plans on lines 2 2 and 3 3, respectively, of Fig. 1; and Fig. l is a fragmentary longitudinal section of the lantern socket casting and the upper end of the pinnacle showing the looking element retracted.

Like characters of reference designate like parts in the several figures of the drawing.

Referring to the drawing, 10 designates a signal lantern and 11 a support for the same. for example, the target pinnacle of a,-

switch stand. The latter terminates in a tapered, preferably wedge-shaped or pyramidal portion 12. Secured to the bottom of the lantern is a socket casting 13 formed with a socket having the shape of the upper end of the target pinnacle. formed with a transverse recess '14 which preferably extends through tlfe same from side to side. The socket casting 13 has a boss 15 formed with a bore 16 and a counter-bore 17 of larger diameter which is adapted to register with the perforation 1st in the pinnacle. Arranged within the counbolt 18 having a stem 19 which passes through the bore 16 and is pro vided with a hand grip '20 secured thereon by any suitable means, for example, by a cotter pin 21. A coiled spring 22 is arranged in the CULlntGFbOlG to bear against the bolt or enlarged end 18 of the locking device. The end of the boss is cut away on one side so as to provide a vertical shoul- T he pinnacle is der 23 against which bears a stop pin 24 set into the stem 19. The bolt 18 is preferably cylindrical so that when retracted the looking device may be revolved half a turn to bring the stop pin 24 into engagement with the end of the projection on the boss. The sides 26 of the pinnacle head 14 provide one or more oblique cam surfaces 26 and the end of the bolt is rounded a trifle. The socket casting on the lantern is preferably formed with a horizontal flange 27'providmg a fiat foot or base on which the lantern stands when removed from the pinnacle.

Operation: The lantern is put in place on the pinnacle by thrusting it over the head 12 of the pinnacle. The cam surface 26 automatically engages and forces back the locking device which thereafter enters the' recess 14. The tapered or pyramidal form of the socket and of. the head of the pinnacle results in giving the lantern a firm and se cure seat on the pinnacle. The lantern may be easily removed from the support by retracting the locking device. The latter mav be held in the retracted position by giving it a half turn so that the stop pin 24 will engage with the end on the boss as shown in Fig. 4..

I claim:

1. The combination of a lantern formed with a socket, a support over which said socket fits provided with a transverse recess, and a spring-pressedlocking element in said socket adapted to enter said recess, said support being formed with a camsurface arranged. to force back the locking element when the lantern is placed on the support.

2. The. combinationof a lantern formed with an internally tapered socket, a correspondingly tapered support over which said socket fits, said support being provided with a transverse recess and said socket being formed with a boss having a projection.

on one end thereof, said boss having a bore and a counter-bore of larger diameter than said here, the counter bore extending through the inner face of said socket, a reciprocable and revoluble locking device comprising a bolt in the counter-bore having a stem extending through said bore, a spring seated in the counter-bore and surrounding the stem and bearing against the bolt, and a stop pin on the stem which is adapted to engage the projection on the end of the boss when the locking device is slightly revolved in its retracted position, the locking end of Patented (Dot. 5, 1915.

movement of the socket downwardly upon said support will cause the bolt to be automatically forced backward until the socket 1s fully seated on said support, whereupon the bolt Will be automatically forced into the recess in the support.

IRA G. STUTSMAN.

Witnesses: P. H. MADDEN, A. C. HARRIS. 

